Work to start on Tourist receptive facility at Kpetoe

Kpetoe, Nov. 02, GNA-Mrs Zita Okaikoi, Minister of Tourism, on Monday cut the sod for work to commence on a 397,000 Ghana Cedi Tourist Receptive Facility at Kpetoe in the Adaklu-Anyigbe District. The facility is made up of an information area, toilet facilities, restaurants, souvenir shops, museum, reading rooms and parking area as well as land banks for private sector investment in accommodation, catering facilities and business centres. The facility will stock information on tourism in the district as well as the region.

Mrs Okaikoi said the project would create "direct" jobs for the youth in the area in line with government's "Better Ghana Agenda." She tasked the Ghana Tourist Development Company Limited to take the lead role in the management of the facility within the framework of public private sector partnership to promote investment and employment opportunities for the local people. She said: "we will be using tourism to alleviate poverty through the creation of livelihood opportunities for the unemployed as well as stimulate growth in other economic sectors such as agriculture, transport and kente weaving." The Kpetoe Area is noted for kente weaving and has an annual festival dubbed "Kente Festival" which attracts a lot of local and foreign tourists. Mrs Juliana Azumah-Mensah, Minister for Women and Children's Affairs and Member of Parliament (MP) for the area, who initiated the project, commended the traditional authorities for releasing plots of land for the facility.

She urged young people in the District to take advantage of the facility to improve their lives. Mr Joseph Amenowode, Volta Regional Minister, advised stakeholders to make the facility "truly receptive" so that it could attract both local and foreign tourists. Mr Michael Kobla Adzaho, Adaklu-Anyigbe District Chief Executive (DCE), said the facility would expose the ingenuity of craft men in the district. He said locating the facility on the Ho-Kpetoe-Aflao Highway was strategic, as many tourists who visit the Volta region and West Africa sub region use that route. Nene Nuer Keteku III, Konor of Agotime Traditional Area, expressed gratitude to the Ministry of Tourism for the facility and pledged the support of the Traditional Area to the project. 02 Nov. 10